Antioxidants

They fight deadly “free radicals,” protecting your cells from the ravages of oxidation. They can stave off the ills of aging and lengthen life spans by years — they may even prevent cancer. And they do it all without a cape, silly costume or any superpowers at all. They're called antioxidants, and they're potent molecules that lie dormant and unassuming in many foods — until they’re needed. To find antioxidants, you don’t need to reach for a special phone or cast a bright signal upon a menacing cloud. You just need to know what to put in your shopping cart.

Here's the lowdown on antioxidants, where to find them and what they can do for you and your health.

What are antioxidants?

To understand antioxidants, you need to know about oxidation. As living, breathing organisms, we need oxygen to live. Unfortunately, some oxygen compounds are highly reactive and can cause the destructive process of oxidation. If you want to know what oxidation looks like, find some rust. It’s one of the most recognizable results of oxidation and it’ll give you a good idea of what the chemical process can do to your body.

Most of the oxygen compounds found in your body are safe and are needed for your survival. Some, known as free radicals, can do real damage. These free radicals can set off chain reactions that tear apart proteins, good fats and even DNA. Free radicals are thought to be one of the causes of cancer and the cause of some of the nastier side effects of aging, like arthritis. Thankfully, your body is smart enough to keep free-radical-fighting compounds around to prevent damage, and aptly enough, they’re called antioxidants. Some might seem exotic to the average Joe: Glutathione and the enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase. Others are more familiar: Vitamins C and E, to name a couple.

What can antioxidants do for you?

In theory, antioxidants can prevent or slow cancer, counteract the ravages of aging and make you healthier overall. Early clinical trials with common antioxidants like vitamins C and E showed this to be true. Recent studies, however, have been inconclusive. Some, like the 1993 Chinese Cancer Prevention study, found that a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium significantly reduced cancer rates. The 1999 Women's Health Study (WHS) found that vitamin E and beta-carotene had no measurable effect on cancer rates. Bottom line: The jury is still out on the effectiveness of antioxidants, but adding more vitamin C and E to your diet won’t hurt and will probably help your overall health in the long run.

Antioxidants help prevent cancer, and they're also good for your overall well-being...